


growing up together might bring you more than age and experience

by stellarmiinho



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Growing Up, M/M, Short & Sweet, its gay, johnmark, mark loves johnny since he was a kid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:41:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23332540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellarmiinho/pseuds/stellarmiinho
Summary: as mark moves to chicago, he had no idea he'd get to know much more than the wind city but also the boy who'd own his heart throughout his childhood. and maybe the rest of his life.
Relationships: Mark Lee/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Kudos: 63





	growing up together might bring you more than age and experience

**Author's Note:**

> it's been over three months but I hope you like it baby <3

It was like a midsummer storm. That is what Johnny Seo felt like to the small Mark Lee. Whilst he was a short, hyper freshman in high school, Johnny was the utmost boy in the senior year. He was smart, even though he wasn't top class. And he was also popular, with a killing smile, warm eyes and soothing voice. Oh, yes. Johnny was just the best in Mark's eyes and he even knew Mark, that one kid who came from Canada and was also Asian in the middle of Chicago.

That's how they got along at first. Mark was in middle school, had just gotten there and Johnny was there, with his even more boyish smile and vibe, inviting small Mark Lee to tag along with the basketball team. There's where he also met his best friend Jaemin, even smaller than him. His brother was in the team with Johnny so he had to wait to go home and stayed with them. Mark was glad to have Jaemin with him, it was nice to have someone around his age to be with. But what he enjoyed was watching Johnny play the game.

He shone. Oh, God. Mark could see the sweat trailing down his neck, his massive smile when he scored, his chest wavering rapidly up and down while he chugged a whole bottle of water. It was the most beautiful thing his young eyes had ever seen. 

He grew to appreciate other beautiful people, not only boys but a bunch of girls. Except that Johnny never really left his thoughts, his most private and deep thoughts. It was like Johnny Seo was a constant lurking presence there to remind him of the silly boy he once was, the silly boy he still was. 

During his high school years, Johnny kept going back to town, just to visit his family, friends... and Mark. Oh, yes. Mark always got his sweet time alone with the older boy, just going around town, watching the sunset, playing basket or eating shitty hamburgers. They'd lay down, sprawled across the grass in a small park and watch the stars. Johnny would tell him how stressful college is and he'd quietly and intently listen, absorb everything Johnny had to give him. It wasn't much, but it was more than he could ask for, in his opinion.

Mark was a senior when Johnny started dating for real for the first time. He wouldn't tell anyone, not even Jaemin what havoc that news caused on his feelings, even though he was well aware of his position in Johnny's life. A small brother.  
He was the first one to be told about it back home and boy, it hurt so much when he thought about it, but Johnny was so so happy... And he was dating as well. She was a nice girl, intelligent, sweet. He liked her a lot, but... She wasn't _him_ and that was flaw enough.  
They broke up before the winter holidays.

When Johnny told him he had broken up with Ten (oh yes, it was a boy and maybe that just made Mark even more bitter at the time), it was via phone call. He could tell that the older was sad, disappointed maybe was a better word. He had to do his best to keep his smile from reaching his voice, although he was sure Johnny could catch it. He always could.

When Mark finally graduated, Johnny was there, clapping and standing with his family. He could never miss his favourite boy graduation (Mark blushed like crazy at that). When the gym was so crowded and the people so drunk they couldn't remember their names (parents all gone by this time), Johnny took him to dance. It was some stupid slow song, some cliché teen movie. Every breath you take? He couldn't remember. All the did remember was Johnny's hands on his waist, pulling him closer, his soft locks brushing against his forehead as he inclined, his strawberry breath fanning over him as he told him how fucking beautiful he looked that night and how proud he was, his boy was growing up so fast. He could also remember how gentle his lips felt against his cheeks, how big his grin was, how much his eyes were shining.

And when Mark went to college? Johnny was there. Well. Kind of there. He was on his last year, finishing his major and preparing for a master degree. He was always so busy and yet, he seemed to always find time for Mark. They always went out, watched some movies and binge-watching a random Netflix show. Johnny used to say Mark was his headspace and he never failed to blush at that commentary, oh well. And they never fought. Except for that one time Johnny came in and Mark was snogging Huang Renjun, a cute boy from his psychology class.  
Johnny was so mad and Mark could make out what he had done wrong. They hadn't planned anything Johnny had said he was too busy...

They spent a whole week without talking to each other and to Mark it was pure torture. He wasn't used to it, seeing Johnny around and not talking to him; watching him around with his friends and not being among them. Johnny went to him and apologized. He hadn't felt that giddy in a long time.

Johnny got the car and took him to a park. They just lay there. Hand in hand, without uttering a single word, staring into each other's eyes, sharing smiles, too close for comfort, or too comfortable for what they claimed to be.

Johnny told himself Mark was too young. Like his brother but... Was he? He wasn't that older and Mark was an adult and he was so beautiful, smart and sweet... And his eyes shining like that under the moonlight and the stars... He was sublime, a sight from another world, he wanted to kiss him so badly... He wanted ever since he had graduated from high school, but the couldn't bring himself to do it.

Whilst Mark, he felt like his interior was in flames with Johnny staring at him like that. He was the summer storm itself, beautiful, colourful, powerful. One that might destroy and create, depending on how things go. Mark admired him, Mark _loved Johnny so much_ , It almost hurt him. And so... So he took in a long breath and when Johnny Seo closed his eyes, ever so briefly, Mark kissed him.

The older boy's eyes opened so quickly as he was startled but he stood there, not moving an inch. If ever, he scooted closer to Mark, his eyes fluttering closed as his hand reached the black hair caressing it gently. He deepened the kiss. It felt to him like he wasn't even on earth. He had reached Nirvana with a single kiss. Johnny had no idea he needed it that much, he had no idea Mark Lee would feel like the sun itself, giving him warmth and strength to grow, but oh he did. 

As for Mark, he had expected Johnny to be all that. Caring, gentle, sweet. If Mark was Johnny's headspace, the older was to the Canadian his beacon, the one guiding him through the darkness of his thoughts and fears. Kissing him was like having the curtains open after a long time and seeing the bluest sky, the brightest sun rays, hearing the birds happily chirping. It was like tasting your favourite dish after a long time watching it being prepared.

When they broke apart, Johnny stared at him as if he was holding the whole galaxy on his eyes. There was something there, something he had never seen. Mark wasn't the little boy he had met back in high school. He was a grown man, with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. The Canadian was no longer his little brother, not at all. He was the one Johnny would look forward to waking up beside him every day. The one he'd like to make breakfast, take out to dinner and a nice walk. It was new, scary and amazing. He had never felt like that before, not with his ex or any other person. Johnny loved Mark. 

And Mark loved Johnny. He had known that for years. He had waited for that moment to happen and it was finally there. It was Johnny looking at him like he was the only one who mattered and Mark would look at him the same way because it was the truth. Nothing was more important to him than the older boy while they were laying on the grass with nothing but the sky above them. He loved Johnny like he loved playing video games. Like he loved pizza. Like he loved his friends, but also in a different way. Maybe, even more, he couldn't tell.

The one thing he knew though, was that he wasn't going to let Johnny go. And the older seemed to feel the same way. Because even when he was graduating from his master degree, he was always managing to be there for Mark. And when the younger graduated and moved back to Canada for a while, Johnny made the effort to go and spend some time with his precious boyfriend as soon as he could. When Mark came back, they had a nice apartment settled and even a small dog. They had yet to speak about getting married, but Mark wouldn't care about that just yet, because papers signed or not, he knew Johnny would always be his. 


End file.
